Wynd Plus Overall Score: 8.3/10
Design Score: 8.0/10
Ease of Usability Score: 8.5/10
Use of Information Score: 8.0/10
Motivation Score: 8.5/10
Advantages:
- It is simple to use.
- The device can magically change itself based on how clean the air is that it senses.
- It arrives with long-lasting filters.
- When functioning, there is utter silence.
- It is portable.
Disadvantages:
- A little bit costly.
- The app is relatively simple.
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For many of us, breathing polluted air has become an unavoidable component of our regular routine. When dangerous elements like biological molecules and particles are released into the atmosphere of the planet, it results in this phenomenon. Air pollution can be caused by both natural processes and human actions, such as when cars, trains, power plants, and factories release particles into the air.
According to estimates provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), tiny particulate matter is responsible for the deaths of two million people annually. It has been suggested that these potentially hazardous particles are the cause of irritations that can occur in the throat, nose, and eyes. However, breathing in the air outside isn’t the only thing that may be a concern. The vast majority of people are unaware that the air quality in their homes and places of business may be up to five times worse than that found outside.
When you step out of your front entrance, it is impossible to regulate the local air quality that you are breathing. There is not much you can do except cover your mouth and nose with a mask. That is, up until this point.
The Wynd Plus is a portable, intelligent, eco-friendly approach that you can take with you everywhere you go. The device is capable of removing dust, allergies, smoke, and particulate emissions from your near personal bubble, which results in the creation of a pure air pocket all around the user. It was developed by an organization known as Wynd Technology. After getting more than $600,000 in funding for the product’s development through Kickstarter, it is now available for anyone to order.
I only recently got a hold of a unit, and for the past few days, I’ve been putting it through its tests to see how well it performs. These are my thoughts on the matter.
The Design and Construction of the Wynd Plus
The Wynd Plus comes with a purifier that already has a filter, an Air Quality Tracker that can be detached from the main unit, a Kickstand that can be used to hold the main unit in place, a microfiber carrying case, a USB cable, and a charger.
The primary component is a device that resembles a cylindrical device and can be purchased in either white or black colouration. It’s probably the equivalent of a water bottle, but it’s heavier and larger than I anticipated it would be. The total apparatus has a height of 17 centimetres and a width of 7.1 centimetres at its base. Despite this, it takes up very little space and can be carried around with ease. The manufacturer claims that the device, which has a form factor that is very tiny, is capable of delivering more than 8 litres of breathable air each second.
The primary housing of the device has holes punched into it along the edges, and it is through these holes that air is drawn in. The purifier will clean it, and then spit it out through the device’s opening at the very top. The apex seems to be where you will find the knob that, when turned, enables you to adjust the pressure of the air that is expelled from the device. This is accomplished using a scale that goes from one to one hundred in ascending order. The level of air filtration can be increased by rotating the knob to the right while rotating it in the other direction has the opposite effect.
Eric Munoz, who is in charge of engineering at Wynd, has experience working in the aerospace industry. This ability enabled him to apply a rocket-turbine-inspired airflow concept, which generates a uniform air route for fast filtration and silent operation. This configuration was made possible by the fact that he had prior experience with the concept. In point of fact, the small device makes hardly any noise at all. When you put it into high gear, that’s when you’ll be able to hear the sound of air being expelled. If you’re a geek for digits, the volume of the audio varies from 30 (representing a calm rural location) to 55 (representing a busy urban area) (a normal conversation).
As was previously said, the Wynd Plus is transportable, allowing you to take it with you wherever you go, store it in your vehicle or handbag, and so on. The device is an excellent partner for the kind of job that I do, which requires me to spend a lot of time sitting at my workstation next to a laptop. You are able to place it in such a way that fresh air is directed in your general vicinity by utilizing the kickstand that comes with it. However, the kickstand is a little bit fragile and this really only provides one position, so it may benefit from some design upgrades.
A medical-grade air filter is a secret weapon behind this whole air purification wizardry. This filter is able to exclude particles 0.3um (1/210th the typical thickness of human hair) and larger. To protect itself from microbiological contaminants such as mould and bacteria, the filter has an antibacterial barrier that is coated in silver running down its interior. Particle contaminants are eliminated as the air passes through, and any germs that may have been left behind are eradicated. The Wynd Plus is primarily intended for the purpose of cleaning the area up to three feet around the device, which is considered to be your personal space. It can apparently clean more than 70 per cent of the particles that are found in a conventional car’s cabin in less than ten minutes.
However, the filter will need to be replaced on occasion. However, this thankfully does not need to be done very frequently. Changing the filter setting is an easy process. Take apart the bottom cap of the clarification tank, take out the old filter, and put the new filter in the spot where the old one was.
The companion application for smartphones provides precise information regarding the amount of remaining filter life. A filter’s lifespan can range from three to six months depending on how frequently it is used and the number of pollutants in the environment around you.
I used this for almost three weeks straight, three to four hours each day, every day, and the device’s life expectancy was reduced by approximately 12 per cent as a result. According to the app, I still have three months left. When taking into account how long it will last, purchasing a replacement is not too expensive. It will cost you anything from $6.69 to $10 per item, with the price fluctuating based on how many you buy.
However, this only reveals one side of the tale. Because you can’t observe what’s in the oxygen that you inhale, Wynd Plus takes things one step further to ensure your safety.
The device is not only an air purifier, but it also contains a tracker that can be removed and used as an intelligent air quality management system that can inform you when the atmosphere around you is harmful. The company that makes the product says that it is the smallest particle matter sensor on the market right now.
You have the option of keeping it plugged into the base unit at all times, or you can remove it, in which case it will connect with the primary device and the mobile application through Bluetooth. If you buy just the monitor, it will arrive with its own charging cable when you buy it separately.
The monitor for the quality of the environment has an LED light that shines in many different colours. If the sky is blue and if the air quality is good, it’s yellow; if the air quality is moderate, it’s orange; if the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, it’s red; and if the air quality is unhealthy for everyone, it’s purple and users may face conditions that are hazardous to their health (in other words, it only takes a quick glimpse for you to have a complete awareness of the situation at hand.)
You have the ability to adjust the parameters of an air filter that has an incorporated air quality sensor, which means that the filter will only exert as much effort as is absolutely necessary to achieve the desired level of cleanliness in the air. Now we get to the part where all the magic really happens!
When you turn it on and select the automatic mode, all you have to do is place it on a flat surface (such as a desk, nightstand, airline tray table, etc.), and it will take care of the rest. The technology will automatically analyze the state of the air around you, and you can purify it according to its findings.
When I used the device indoors, the battery life was poor, so I found that I needed to have it hooked into the power outlet for most of the time. This recharges it at the same moment, so in the event that you need to take it outside, it will always be ready for use and ready to go. In normal conditions, the purifier’s battery can power it for up to 8 hours without needing to be replaced. If it takes a reading once per hour, the tracker has a battery life of more than a week even when it isn’t hooked into the filter or plugged in.
When the filter is connected inside and receiving power, the white LED that is located within the device comes to life. When the charge is finished, the indicator light will go out. The Wynd Plus may be completely recharged in approximately four hours when using the USB Type-C connector.
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Configuring and Making Use of Wynd Plus
The setup is really simple. You can get the Wynd app on your phone, set up a profile, and send in your information. This is the initial step. After that is finished, turn on the air filter as well as the air quality sensor, and then couple both of these devices with the app. It is only necessary to complete this task once. The whole thing goes off without a hitch and doesn’t take more than a few minutes of your time.
On the filter, there are only two actual buttons that you may press. The other is utilized for turning the main unit on and off. The other button can be used to switch between the various settings.
As soon as you turn the purifier on, it will immediately begin removing contaminants from the air. You have the option of selecting the Manual mode by hitting the button labelled “A.” In this mode, you will be responsible for adjusting the top ring to determine the amount of air that will be released. Alternately, you might relax and select the automatic mode. The settings can also be managed via the application on the mobile phone.
That pretty much wraps up all that needs to be said about it!
As was said previously, the reading that the light on the Air Quality Monitor provides is in live time. In an ideal world, the monitor or filter would include a little screen that displayed the real value of the measurement. This would be preferable in a situation where the world is not ideal. Despite this, the lights perform admirably in fulfilling this function. To get an accurate reading, you need to check out the application.
Night mode is an option that can be quite helpful. By toggling this switch to the “on” position, the light circle on the filter will be turned off. In night mode, because the unit is so silent, I can easily picture some completely forgetting to turn Wynd off because, for instance, they depart from their workstation. This hasn’t occurred to me, but I can see how it may happen to other people. Therefore, you must keep this in mind as an important consideration.
When it comes to crowdsourcing, it is sadly all too common for items that are either partially finished or have bugs to be shipped out. Or for things that are simply falling between the cracks and aren’t being shipped at all! Everyone here has at least one “crowdfunding horror story” under their belt. Wynd is unlike any other character imaginable. It seems more like a product from the second or third generation than it does a product from the first generation of crowdfunded gadgets.
Although I did not experience any issues with the functionality of the device itself, I did find the accompanying smartphone software to be quite uncomplicated. It does, however, cover the fundamentals of the matter.
On the primary screen, you can see the present air quality both inside and outside your home. It is likely that the software connects to some kind of public service in order to acquire the outside reading. The second screen provides information regarding the remaining battery capacity and the current level of filtration (intensity of air flowing out). In this section, you’ll also find the settings for the Auto mode and the Night mode, as well as information about how much filter space is available.
Each air quality monitor also functions as a node in a large group of sensing devices, which contributes to the provision of a more comprehensive, crowd-sourced assessment of the pollution levels within a local neighbourhood. If you navigate to the bottom of the application screen and click on the symbol that looks like a map, you will be transported to a different app that is named Air Bubbles. This will display a map of your vicinity, including readings from any Wynd sensors that are in close proximity to you.
It would have been helpful to have a little bit more information about how effective Wynd Plus is at its work, as well as some graphs with long-term trends, if possible. Since this app feature is displayed on the company’s website, I can only assume that an update to the software will make it available very soon.
The Verdict: Concluding Thoughts on the Wynd Plus
Considering there are hundreds of different models available, picking the best air purifier is not an easy task. The Wynd Plus is distinct from its rivals in that it does not cleanse the entire atmosphere but rather the air immediately surrounding the user. This is done with the help of a clever three-part system made up of a detachable particle matter sensor, a purifying device about the size of a bottle, and a mobile app that works with the other two parts.
The level of air pollution within our homes should be our primary concern, despite the fact that we devote a significant amount of mental energy to fretting about the air outside. Even though Wynd Plus is touted as a portable gadget, it functions most effectively when it is set up in a confined, closed-off area. In only a few short minutes, the pollution, mold spores, bacteria, and allergens like cat fur are all eliminated by the medical-grade filtration.
After using this for a few days, my conclusion is that people who work at white-collar jobs are the ones most likely to find value in this particular piece of equipment. When I was sitting on my PC for hours at a stretch, it was really nice to have it softly circulating fresh air in my way. I was able to recognize that there was a significant change.
Additionally, I could imagine it being helpful for long vehicle rides or for resting on a bedside table. It could be a blessing in disguise for people who have allergies or who often go to places with a lot of pollution.
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The device is not quite inexpensive, but when measured against the prices of other air purifiers, it has a price that is fairly competitive. Also, take into account that the low-cost filters that have a long lifespan will more than makeup for the original investment.
Overall, it appears like a lot of consideration went into the design of the Wynd Plus product. It is obvious that a lot of effort was put into cramming a lot of outstanding features into a relatively tiny container.
